The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

After their time together in the
Buttercups, both mice are ready for the rigors of being full-fledged Acorns.
Whether it’s the acorn salute or the Mouse Scout pledge, earnest Violet is
dedicated to the Scouts and their mission. Her best friend, Tigerlily, is
something of a Type B—a good balance for Violet. Their first project is to grow
vegetables. Violet loves the challenge, but Tigerlily needs a recon mission to
the shed to get engaged. The scout troop is made up of all sorts of scouts,
from lactose-intolerant Junebug to bored-out-of-her mind Hyacinth. They face
all the challenges of gardening, from planting and watering to fighting off
pests both small (bugs) and large (such raiders as rabbits and squirrels, who
speak but do not wear clothes). Excerpts from the Mouse Scout Handbook add information about gardening and scout
rules and keep the story moving along. Droll black-and-white pencil drawings
add dimension and humor to each spread and help new chapter-book readers
negotiate the challenge of long stretches of print. The second book in the
series, Mouse Scouts Make a Difference,
sees these scouts trying to effect positive change and finding that it is
harder than they anticipated.

Strong characters plus lots of
laughs make this a welcome series for new readers, who will look forward to
reading about all 16 badges. (Animal fantasy. 7-10)

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